Leo - New to DSLR's

[larlyboi]

Leo by mrnash, on Flickr

Hi, new to photography not on an iPhone 4. A friend directed me here for advice/critique.

I picked up my Nikon yesterday, experimenting with MF, and the cat walked at me, managed to get this.

Advice please on composition, I'm fairly happy with the focus (on the eyes?) but what do you guys think to the rest. It's been cropped and has the exposure & saturation fiddled in Picasa. (Using the "one click fix for lighting")

Thanks.

Exif data
Camera Nikon D3100
Exposure 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length 50 mm
Focal Length 50.4 mm
ISO Speed 450
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

[larlyboi]

Hi.

71 views and no critique yet. I'm fairly happy with the shot, but wanted to know if I was misguiding myself. So could one of the mods possibly move this to the SYS section.

Thanks.

[JFSanders]

You will get a disproportionate number of views to posts just due to the fact that most people are here to learn and are not ready to express their view beyond a like or dislike comment. So they look but no post. This is the first I've seen of your post so it most likely fell off the new post page pretty fast. Thanks for bumping it up.

Now, It seems your subject has a heat wave coming out of the top of his head and has thought bubbles as well. Be aware of the background when composing as it can break a otherwise acceptable photograph. The focus is good on the eyes but you shouldn't cut off the feet unless you crop up to just under the chin. Make it a closeup and I would convert to B&W to eliminate the color aberration between his ears. Nice beginning shot.

Jim

[larlyboi]

Thanks. That was the blind in the bathroom. I don't have photoshop, only Picasa, but I can do straight b&w or colour filtered. How have you converted that?

Once converted should I boost the contrast or do that before?

Thanks.

[JFSanders]

I did it in Capture NX2. They have a trial version on the Nikon website good for 30 days. I first converted to black and white and then ran a Gaussian blur at 20pixel width over the whole image then went back in with the minus brush set to 15pixels and 2 hardness at 100percent. erased the face and neck of the cat only. Then I set the black and white point with the double thresh hold tool and adjusted the contrast up just slightly to boost tonal range. Cropped him to the close up. Then ran a high pass filter at 1pixel and set it on L&C slid the C slider to 0% and slid the L slider to 80%.

Jim

[larlyboi]

Thanks. I'll be getting that then!

[JFSanders]

Where to get it in the EU/Uk

Some web tutorial links for you if you would care to try.

Nikon tutorials from Nikon.com

Luminescent Photo

CNX2 tips and techniques

Page two tips and techniques

Moose Peterson's CNX2 tips and techniques

[larlyboi]

Hi.

Right, I've had another attempt.

Please let me know if these are an improvement. One's straight B7W, the other is RED filtered.

Also, I noticed right after uploading these, that your crop looks nice (including the body), I just went for both eyes being on the 'thirds'. Should I have cropped differently?

B&W


Leo by larlyboi, on Flickr

RED


Leo by larlyboi, on Flickr

I also did a RED filter and cropped the way you did. This one had the contrast etc done in ViewNX2 before being transferred to Picasa for B&W.


Leo by larlyboi, on Flickr

[JFSanders]

I will get back to you tonite. I am on the mobile and typing is a pain.

Jim

[larlyboi]

right,

downloaded nx2 and it's awesome.

here's my final edit, i tried to employ some of the techniques you mentioned.


Leo Final by larlyboi, on Flickr

Fingers crossed you like it.

Andy.